The Opposite Theory

CHAPTER 1: Plan A

"Let's break up."

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The sun shines and sparkles like expensive gold in the translucent sky of Seoul even at late afternoon. There is enough wind blowing to dry the little buckets of sweat caused by the 24°C air temperature and an enthralling scent accompanies every breeze with glorious flowers adorning every corner of the city.

A perfect summery day.

That is how Chaeyoung would normally describe it.

Except, all she is feeling in her heart right now is the bitterness of the nearing autumn season. Cold and damp, autumn.

She had expected this.

Known all along that this is what was bound to happen the moment she received his text last night.

"Can we meet up?"

As soon as she read those four words—the first text from him in a month, she knew her heart was bound to be broken again.

Yet she agreed.

Even with her puffy eyes and runny nose caused by last night's excessive bawling, she still agreed. Even planned the whole meeting.

She was prompt and properly made up for the "date" even though all she really wants to do is lie on her bed, watch some chick flick, eat nasty junk food, and cry some more. She still came because she needed answers. She deserves an explanation at the very least.

Well, that's what she tells herself.

But truthfully, she just misses him.

Despite everything, she misses him so bad and just wants to see his face.

Is he doing well? Is he eating well? Has he gotten skinnier from not being able to eat Korean food during their Asian tour? Does he miss her as much as she does? Or at least of a fraction of it? Does he think of her every now and then? Is he happy?

She knows she shouldn't have thought this way, but she hoped.

It was evil, but she hoped he didn't look fine. Because how can he be perfectly fine when her heart is tearing into pieces?

Unfortunately for her, the answers to those questions slaps her across the face as soon as he arrives at the coffee shop where they had their first date six months ago.

He looks divine.

Even better than the last time she saw him. And that makes her question herself, is it because she wasn't by his side that he looks healthier and has a glowing look on him?

"Hi," she beams like a ray of sunshine as soon as he stands across the table she was waiting at for almost an hour now.

It was too fake, her smile that is, so much that her jaw hurts but it's not like he would notice with how blatantly he avoids her loving yet forlorn gaze.

"Hey," he replies, completely soulless as he takes a seat, still looking everywhere but her.

Noticing the uncomfortable tension in the air that she has experienced several times already, she chats him up, starts a conversation with him hoping that all he just wants to do today is actually talk, see each other, and maybe tell her that he misses her too.

She talks without looking at him, afraid she'll lose it as soon as she sees nothing but apathy in his eyes.

"How was the tour? I watched a lot of fan-cams and I have to say my favorite video is of you guys performing your ISAC 2017 aerobic dancing. I mean, you guys were crazy sexy cool—pun intended—and you guys won for that, but never did I expect you guys to perform it in your concerts! You didn't tell me too that you were going to perform that, was it supposed to be a surprise? Oh! I also liked your cosplay of Twice—"